Safety hand-rail for street-cars and the like



APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, I920.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

INVENTOR. fled) A TTORNEYS.

UlllTEll S'i'rtl'g s rarest orrice.

TRACY DE GRAEIF, 0F PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETY HAND-RAIL FOR STREET-CABS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed April 9, 19530.

To ditto/1071?. it may @011 com Be it known that i, TRACY D12 (inane, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pasadena, in the county of lms Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful improvements in Safety Hand-Rails for Street-Cars and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to and has for a. main object the provision oi? safety devices used either in connection with or independently of too usual hand rails provided on street and inter-urban cars, in order that the tendency on the part of inexperienced persons, and particularly women, to alight from such cars baclnvard, 11. c. with their race towardthe rear end of the car instead of the reversethe proper wage-may be overcome by the elimination of any means or devices whatever whereby a grasp or hand hold may be obtained on the car during a backward egress thereironi, thus preventing as for as possible the great number of accidents occurring "from the misuse of the hand rails now provided and used.

A further object is to provide a hand rail having characteristics of design which adapt it for use readily in a proper man ner, especially when entering a car, and preventing the use thereof to persons on and alightingfrom the car. Detailed objects, special features and preferred arrangement and manner of use will be clearly and specifically outlined in the following description of my device, reference being had to the accompanying drawing oi my invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a street car having my improved hand rail attached thereto for use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same at right angles to Fig. 2.

Fig. i is a transverse section on a scale of about full size, the "form shown being for use independently of the usual hand rails;

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of a form of the same device adapted for use in connection with one of the usual type of hand rails.

As shown clearly in Fig. l, my improved device consists of a main vertical ineinber R- which constitutes the hand rail and which has a tube like portion 1 provided at one edge of the single piece of material forming the body of the device and the major portion Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 373,019.

thereof is bent outwarilly and thence inwardl as at a convenient distance from and preferably concentric with the portion 1, thus providing ample space be tween the portions 1 and 2 for the insertion of the hand in the manner shown by broken lines in .1 1g. at, but not otherwise.

The inner edge has a flattened portion 3 adapted to rest ag 'nst and to be secured rigidly to the stanchion 4 or the side oi the street car C by means of a plurality of screws, or bolts 5, care being tal-ten that the heads of the attaching screws or bolts do not extend outwardly suiliciently to scratch the hands of the passengers or limit the space S between the portions 1 and 2.

The bottom particularly, and the top if deemed necessary, may be closed by means of flat end portions 6 and 7, respectively, which should preferably be brazed or welded to the ends of the portions 1 and 2. The provision of a bottom member 6, it will be readily apparent, prevents the insertion of the hand upwardly into the space S.

ll here the usual form of hand rails are used in connection with my improvement the portion 1 may be formed around, or the usual rail it inserted in said portion and carried on the brackets B and B in the usual manner.

It will be obvious that the hand of the passengers may be inserted into the space S of my improved rail only from the outside of the car as the passengers are entering the car, the space 5 being closed on the right hand side adjacent to the alighting passengers while open on the opposite side for use by the entering passengers. This being the case, and there being no other devices or projections which may be grasped by the hand, the passengers must of necessity turn around facing the front end of the car, in which position the other rail R at theiront side Of. the exit E will beavailable. Thus the passengers will be compelled to face forward as they emerge, it they desire or need support as they usually do.

My improved hand rail may be made, as shown, from a single piece of flat sheet metal of ample strength, bent into the form shown and described and attached to the car by suitable means, but I do not limit myself to the exact form of device shown and described, as I conceive it to be possible to change or modify the structure thereof Without enlarging the scope beyond that set forth in the appended claims, or departing from the spirit of my invention.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. A hand rail for street cars and the like, comprising a vertical rail portion and integral therewith, a curved guard portion spaced therefrom and affording access to the space therebetween only in one direction.

2. A hand rail for street cars and the like comprising a curved rail portion and integral therewith, a curved guard portion of like length ai'l ording hand space therehetween accessible only in one direction.

3. A hand rail for street cars and the like comprising a circular sheet metal rail portion, and a curved "litld portion spaced therefrom and integ'rai tl erewith and atiording access to the space therebetween only in one direction, and members for closing the ends of said space.

i. A hand rail for street cars and the like comprising a circular rail portion, and a curved guard portion spaced therefrom and integral therewith for affording access to said space only in one direction, and end closing means for said space.

5. A hand rail for street cars and the like comprising a circular rail portion and a curved guard portion integral therewith and spaced therefrom, said guard portion being extended for a substantial distance concentrically around said rail portion and ali'ording access to the space therebetween in only one direction, and means for attaching said rail to a car for use.

TRACY DE GRAFF. Witnesses CEARLES C. MoNTooMnRY, E. M. Dnssinox. 

